Dyeing apparatus



HY 3L 1938. D. CARTER ET AL ZMS? I DYENG APPARATUS Filed Feb. 6, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet l A Mdm? May 31, 1938. D. CARTER ET Al.

DYEING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 6, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 31,1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCE DYEIN G APPARATUS Application February6, 1936, Serial No. 62,678 In Belgium May 7, 1935 2 Claims.

This invention relates to dyeing apparatus; and it comprises a dyeingapparatus having a tank adapted to hold a body of dye liquor, means forpassing a web of fabric through the liquor in 5 the tank, and means inthe tank for directing streams of gas through the dye liquor toward theweb across its width, to insure rapid and thorough penetration andmovement of dye liquor into and in the web; all as more fullyhereinafter set forth and as claimed.

It has long been standard dyehouse practice to conduct dyeing in vesselsheated by perforated steam coils through which steam is introduceddirectly into the dye liquor. In the liquor immediately surrounding andadjacent to the perforations a certain throbbing and directed streamingof dye liquor may be produced, but both throbbing and streaming are notin the active sphere of dyeing, i. e, within the fabric.

In dyeing cloth, difficulty is often experienced in securing uniform andrapid penetration of the cloth by the dye. Attempts have been made tosolve this problem by mechanically agitating the whole body of liquor inthe tank in one way or another. However, in most cases agitation of theliquor body produces but little action on the liquor in the cloth andmoreover many such expedients produce a circulation or swirling in thefree body of dye liquor. Such effects we have found objectionable.

The effectiveness of the improved apparatus of the present invention isnot dependent on circulation of the dye liquor but is dependent on thebombardment of the fabric with bubbling dye 55 liquor. It is an objectof the present invention to provide an apparatus for use in the dyeingof piece goods made from animal, vegetable or artificial fibres,particularly closely woven or felted material at atmospheric pressure ina dye io liquor in which a throbbing and streaming is caused to takeplace actually within the pores or interstices of the material to bedyed. Thus,

when dyeing is proceeding, i. e. at the surface of the fibre within thefabric there appears to be set up a pulsating hydraulic pressure of theentire dye liquor, while at the same time swirling is preferablyavoided. The diierence in hydraulic pressure on the two sides of thefabric is produced by a controlled and directed bubbling 50 of air, o1`steam admixed with air, o1' a suitable inert gas.

By the use of the apparatus of the invention there is obtained a morethorough and rapid penetration of the fabric and simultaneously a 5 morerapid and complete exhaustion of the dyebath and, with many classes ofdyestuffs, an im- All classes of dyestuffs may be device Comprising oneor more series of pipes fixed in staggered arrangement relatively to theline of feed of the fabric between them, the said pipes being at adistance of not more than six inches from the fabric passing betweenthem and having perforations therein adapted for admission of air orsteam or a mixture of both so as to set up a turbulence of dye liquorand a difference of dye liquor pressure on either side of the fabric.

The invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawingsin which Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross section of a dyeing tank alongthe line I-I of Figure 2. Figure 2 is an end cross section along theline 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross section of a modified dyeing tank alongthe line 3-3 of Figure 4, and Figure 4 is an end cross section on theline 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figures 1 and 2 show a tank adaptable for dyeing piece goods of limitedlength, and Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a tank for use in dyeing stripsof unlimited length, such as is customary in the trade.

Referring in general to Figures 1 to 4 in which like referencecharacters refer to like parts, the dyeing machine consists of a tank I0adapted to contain a bath of dye liquor I I and having mounted on thetop thereof a rotating roller or winch I2 (Figs. 1 and 2) driven by apulley I3. In the device of Figs. 3 and 4 the roller is shown as ofslatted construction and is denoted by 32. The fabric I4 in the form ofa continuous chain is circulated through the dye liquor by means of theroller Winch and passes between two spaced pipes I5 and I6, providedwith a series of perforations II facing the fabric as shown. A suitablearrangement of guide rollers such as is shown by 20 in Figures 1 and 2,and by 2l, 22 and 23 in Figures 3 and 4 is provided to ensure a smoothand even movement of the fabric through the dye liquor. The pipes I5 andI5 are so fixed one on each side of the fabric that they aresubstantially parallel to its face and at right angles to the selvedge.They are further set at such an agle with respect to the perforationsthat the axes of the perforations of one pipe are not in the same planeas the axes of the perforations of the other pipe. The perforations facethe fabric, and air or steam or a mixture of both is forced through sothat the fabric as it passes between the pipes is bornbarded withbubbling liquor. Since the pipes are xed as described the hydraulicpressure on one side does not neutralize the pressure on the other side,and consequently an extremely effective` penetration of the dye liquorthrough the fabric is ensured. The perforations may conveniently be oneinch apart, and the pipes about two inches distant from the fabric. Thedye liquor is kept hot by closed steam coils 2li, which may if desiredbe fixed in a portion of the dyebath separated from the main body of thetrough by a perforated partition indicated at 25 in Figure 4. In theshowing of Fig. 3, the partition is omitted for the sake of clarity.

We claim:

1. In apparatus for use in dyeing piece goods and having a tank adaptedto hold a body of dye liquor and means for continuously feeding fabricthrough the dye liquor and means for maintaining temperature control ofthe dye liquor, means for continuously bombarding the fabric with dyeliquor comprising at least one pair of pipes mounted in the tank instaggered arrangement relative to the line of feed of the fabric and onopposite sides of the fabric, the `pipes being spaced from the fabric ata distance of not more than about six inches, and having perforationstherein on the sides facing the fabric and adapted for injection of airor steam under pressure into the dye liquor so as to set up a turbulenceof the dye liquor and a difference of dye liquor pressure on either sideof the fabricand means for supplying the pipes with air or steam underpressure.

2. Apparatus for dyeing a web comprising a tank adapted to hold a bodyof dye liquor, means for passing a web of fabric through the liquor inthe tank, conduit means on the tank on each side of the Web extendingalong the Width thereof, and spaced apart in the direction of passage ofthe Web, the conduit means being orificed at intervals along the lengththereof adjacent the web, and means for supplying a gas under pressureto the' conduit means, so as to cause jets of dye liquor and air toimpinge on the fabric with bubbles rising along the surface, producingiluctuating, localized areas of differential pressure across the fabric,thereby insuring rapid and thorough penetration of dye liquor.

DICK CARTER.

AUSTIN GODWIN CUTHBERT-SMITH. HARRY JACKSON.

LESLIE PAIGE RENDELL.

HARRY AUGUSTUS THOMAS.

